Westwood Works 1903-2003

Leaving Presents - Collections for Colleagues

Another significant facet to the 'family' ethos at Westwood was the generosity of employees towards their colleagues when leaving or getting married. The high number of marriages between employees has been mentioned before in this website, indeed - "What, another Collection?" - could be heard very frequently during the 1960s and 1970s.

A 'Presentation Book', prepared by one of the secretaries with an artistic flair, was invariably the centrepiece of these Presentations and now provides both a nostalgic reminder of these events and very importantly for us, a useful list of employees at the time.

Brenda (Cluer) Trevor worked at Westwood for four years, finally as Secretary to Pat Hoyle in the Bakery Division. Brenda confesses that she loved her job but had to leave in early 1973 as her husband had been transferred to Loughborough.

Margaret (Barnes) Preston joined Baker Perkins as a copy typist in the Typing Pool in 1955, leaving to start her family in January 1965. The list of subscribers to her leaving present includes most of those working on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the 1933 Office Block at the time.

The Retirement in December 1954, after fifty years service of W.B. Frostick provides a practically complete roll-call of the Company's then senior management. Click here for a list of signees.